Fortitudo

The figure stands within an arched niche, her powerful physique emphasizing the moral and physical strength associated with the virtue. She supports a tall, fluted column with one arm while her other hand rests on her hip, partially covered by a billowing lion's pelt. This engraving is characterized by the dynamic poses and exaggerated musculature typical of the Dutch Mannerist style.

As one of the four cardinal virtues, Fortitude was central to Renaissance ethical systems derived from Classical philosophy and Neoplatonism, representing the soul's ability to resist fear and endure hardship. The lion skin specifically evokes the strength of Hercules, a figure frequently used in esoteric thought as an archetype for the initiate overcoming lower nature through labor and discipline.